


A Weakness to Be Burned

by Arcadias_Fire



Series: Obsidian, Steel, and Gold [2]
Category: DC Animated Universe, DCU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 09:10:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12362436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcadias_Fire/pseuds/Arcadias_Fire
Summary: After making a mistake that may have shown more than he wanted, Batman must assess his own weaknesses.





	A Weakness to Be Burned

**Author's Note:**

> Takes places after the Justice League episode "The Brave and the Bold"

Bruce stared off into the depths of the Batcave while Alfred picked pieces of his gauntlets out of his charred hands. A machine sprayed numbing burn treatment over his hands at regular intervals as new skin was exposed; he ignored what pain was leftover. He didn't see the shadows, he saw crushed metal and super-heated rubble and wondered why his heart ached. 

He thought Diana had died. They all had for a moment, even J'onn. She'd been crushed, dragged along by a missile designed to kill thousands. She'd saved them all, and his hands were the only casualties. Seeing her smashed into the ground and not simply shoving the missile to the side and leaping out of the hole... He'd run to her, purely on instinct, and tried to dig her out. The rocks had been burning from the friction, but he hadn't noticed. A blind panic took over where all that went through his head was “must save”. He never felt like that, except when Clark got himself into some sort of scrape with kryptonite involved. 

Crap. 

Was he falling in love with the Amazon? She was beautiful, of course. Strong and powerful, entirely self reliant, but a true team player. He'd been attracted to her right from the start, but so had the entire rest of the team, except for maybe Hawkgirl. Attraction was easy to control. He'd learned to control his body's reactions to desire, so he wasn't a slave to them as some men were. But love... love was dangerous. 

Bruce looked down at his hands. Alfred was removing the last pieces of leather. Love burned with a fire hotter than the sun. Love kept him from doing what had to be done. Love was a weakness that his enemies exploited. Love put people in danger, even if they were nearly invulnerable.

And everyone had a weakness. 

He had to make sure that nothing came of this. He had no idea how she felt. Well, she'd kissed him, but it was sisterly kiss, it could have meant anything. They were friends, that was fine. He'd have to make sure that she didn't get any ideas how he felt. Any more ideas.

Crap. 

Alfred wound white gauze around his hands, securing it at the writs. “All done, Master Bruce.” 

“Thank you, Alfred.” Bruce got to his feet and flexed his hands. They only hurt a little more. “I'll need to look into more fire-retardant gloves.” 

“Indeed,” the manservant replied dryly. 

As his unreasonably faithful butler put the rest of the medical supplies away, Batman turned to the huge computer console that dominated one wall. He tapped at the keys and pushed past the pain from his burned hands. He pulled up his files on Wonder Woman. Every weakness must be understood and conquered.


End file.
